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A look back at Whitney Houston

One year after she accidentally drowned in hotel bathtub, with cocaine in her system after years of substance abuse issues, Whitney Houston is remembered as a cautionary tale, but also as a source of inspiration.

You can’t look at today’s biggest female pop singers without seeing a little bit of Houston, in Adele’s dynamic vocal range, in Jennifer Hudson’s dramatic delivery, in Beyoncé’s confidence on stage. But no one has ever been able to completely replicate the power she Houston possessed during her prime. “I Will Always Love You,” her iconic cover of a Dolly Parton tune, remains an indisputable showstopper 21 years after Houston recorded it, and the bestselling single ever by a female artist. That song, and Houston’s voice, are destined to stand the test of time for decades to come.